I woke up this morning...
...to the sound of my mom's clamoring downstairs and the voice of my cousin singing in the bathroom.
I checked my email to find 10 messages from my boss, all forwarded musings about current events. I checked the news to find the Celtics are 5-0 and Norman Mailer -- creative nonfiction luminary -- is dead at 84.
I'm called for lunch only to sleep another extra two hours. I walked down to the kitchen at 2PM to find bangus minus almost all its meat; I ate instant noodles instead with the dog asking for biscuits from underneath the kitchen counter.
I like to end my days feeling tired because of productivity. I'm tired, but today I've done little.
I checked my makeshift calendar; the coming week's going to be one of the more hectic starts to a semester I've ever had. I use this as my excuse for doing nothing today; buwelo is to mean a harnessing of energy in this context.
* * *
Three days ago I registered for what is supposed to be the last time at the undergraduate level; my being forced to take Philosophy of Religion in Filipino threatens this expectation. A good friend volunteered to tutor, guaranteeing her patience and her mocking as well.
My mom took the MRT -- against her will -- for the first time that day. She was supposed to sign for my tuition payment only to find the University does not accept her credit card. My mom took the MRT -- against her will -- for the first time that day for nothing.
* * *
As my teacher for two semesters of freshman English, Vince Serrano wore his locks in a ponytail and had us all watch Mike de Leon's Batch 81 and Bayaning Third World while pushing the music of Sonic Youth.
As my teacher for Poetry Seminar when I was a junior, Vince switched to shorter locks, heavily-gelled, while bringing to class audio recordings of Eric Gould and Ezra Pound if not inviting us to Quiapo for poetic inspiration.
Fast-forward. Senior year. Second sem registration. Choices for my last free elective: (1) Fiction Workshop with Krip Yuson -- full; (2) Third World Literature with DM Reyes -- full; (3) Third World Literature with Danton Remoto -- full as well...
...so Modern Poetry it is -- my fourth semester with Vince who now has what others have described as an 'emo' haircut.
* * *
I've come to the realization that I've stopped praying. My religious beliefs -- more so affiliation -- describe it as that moment in between Signs of the Cross. Beyond rudimentary customs, I feel it's that moment of centeredness and self-communion, opening oneself to what others hope to be a higher power whereas I the possibility of something simpler but perhaps more elusive: peace of mind.
* * *
Out of loyalty to close friends, I went to the grand finals of Nescafe Soundskool yesterday at the Philsports Arena (Ultra) in Pasig. Most of the college bands I didn't fancy, save for a select few including Hymn of Siren (of course).
A band called Lazy Susan won; I don't even remember their performance. But of course I was unattentive; did not even avail of the free cup of coffee that came with the P50 ticket. I'm sure the judges knew what they were talking about (or so one would hope).
The night was also a showcase of a lot of the more popular bands in the local scene today.
Watching Rivermaya with their new vocalist was like blasphemy, my abhoring it the only semblance of justice in the world during their two song set.
Everyone after Urbandub was a bit of a let down for me personally (no Terno bands unfortunately), though the energy of Bamboo and Parokya brought life to the stadium in the end.
Manalac's freakishly hyper, messiah-like performance took choke hold of his disciples while converting the few cynics in attendance; Chito led a stadium-wide sing-along of the comic anthems which have made his band so damn popular for all these years.
As for Hymn of Siren, well, they were one of the best among the college bands, I think, hitting the stage with their mentor band, Imago, for "Walang Misteryo," then doing their original, "Ilusyon."
I still remember Marcee singing Imago hits during breaks on campus and now she's on stage with Aia while Cindy, who once called herself the most dispensible Siren, is now receiving offers to session for Imago during Myrene's absences.
It's been truly a pleasure to witness those two achieving dream after dream. Ang galing!
I checked my email to find 10 messages from my boss, all forwarded musings about current events. I checked the news to find the Celtics are 5-0 and Norman Mailer -- creative nonfiction luminary -- is dead at 84.
I'm called for lunch only to sleep another extra two hours. I walked down to the kitchen at 2PM to find bangus minus almost all its meat; I ate instant noodles instead with the dog asking for biscuits from underneath the kitchen counter.
I like to end my days feeling tired because of productivity. I'm tired, but today I've done little.
I checked my makeshift calendar; the coming week's going to be one of the more hectic starts to a semester I've ever had. I use this as my excuse for doing nothing today; buwelo is to mean a harnessing of energy in this context.
* * *
Three days ago I registered for what is supposed to be the last time at the undergraduate level; my being forced to take Philosophy of Religion in Filipino threatens this expectation. A good friend volunteered to tutor, guaranteeing her patience and her mocking as well.
My mom took the MRT -- against her will -- for the first time that day. She was supposed to sign for my tuition payment only to find the University does not accept her credit card. My mom took the MRT -- against her will -- for the first time that day for nothing.
* * *
As my teacher for two semesters of freshman English, Vince Serrano wore his locks in a ponytail and had us all watch Mike de Leon's Batch 81 and Bayaning Third World while pushing the music of Sonic Youth.
As my teacher for Poetry Seminar when I was a junior, Vince switched to shorter locks, heavily-gelled, while bringing to class audio recordings of Eric Gould and Ezra Pound if not inviting us to Quiapo for poetic inspiration.
Fast-forward. Senior year. Second sem registration. Choices for my last free elective: (1) Fiction Workshop with Krip Yuson -- full; (2) Third World Literature with DM Reyes -- full; (3) Third World Literature with Danton Remoto -- full as well...
...so Modern Poetry it is -- my fourth semester with Vince who now has what others have described as an 'emo' haircut.
* * *
I've come to the realization that I've stopped praying. My religious beliefs -- more so affiliation -- describe it as that moment in between Signs of the Cross. Beyond rudimentary customs, I feel it's that moment of centeredness and self-communion, opening oneself to what others hope to be a higher power whereas I the possibility of something simpler but perhaps more elusive: peace of mind.
* * *
Out of loyalty to close friends, I went to the grand finals of Nescafe Soundskool yesterday at the Philsports Arena (Ultra) in Pasig. Most of the college bands I didn't fancy, save for a select few including Hymn of Siren (of course).
A band called Lazy Susan won; I don't even remember their performance. But of course I was unattentive; did not even avail of the free cup of coffee that came with the P50 ticket. I'm sure the judges knew what they were talking about (or so one would hope).
The night was also a showcase of a lot of the more popular bands in the local scene today.
Watching Rivermaya with their new vocalist was like blasphemy, my abhoring it the only semblance of justice in the world during their two song set.
Everyone after Urbandub was a bit of a let down for me personally (no Terno bands unfortunately), though the energy of Bamboo and Parokya brought life to the stadium in the end.
Manalac's freakishly hyper, messiah-like performance took choke hold of his disciples while converting the few cynics in attendance; Chito led a stadium-wide sing-along of the comic anthems which have made his band so damn popular for all these years.
As for Hymn of Siren, well, they were one of the best among the college bands, I think, hitting the stage with their mentor band, Imago, for "Walang Misteryo," then doing their original, "Ilusyon."
I still remember Marcee singing Imago hits during breaks on campus and now she's on stage with Aia while Cindy, who once called herself the most dispensible Siren, is now receiving offers to session for Imago during Myrene's absences.
It's been truly a pleasure to witness those two achieving dream after dream. Ang galing!
posted by M.V. at 8:35 PM
3 Comments:
Ang galing nga ng Hymn of Siren... very impressed kami sa kanila. We're wishing for the best sa tugtugan nila!
Peace!
Lazy Suzan was that 'invisible band' that performed with Hale.
netvision --
you and i both, man... good people, too... but that shouldn't matter. good music, good music.
april --
ah yes. i do recall now. vaguely.
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